Because of rising energy costs and negative environmental impacts of energy usage and energy generation, there is a continual effort to reduce energy consumption of lighting fixtures, especially in large public and private building. A number of different light management systems have been developed to help reduce power consumption. One type of light management system utilizes motion detectors or sensors that shut light fixtures on and off based on detected motion. Other light management systems use light sensors, whereby light output levels from light fixtures are automatically adjusted based on detected levels of light. There are still a number of shortcomings with currently available light management systems and problems with integrating lighting equipment from different light management systems.
To ensure that the manufactures of lighting equipment, installers of the lighting equipment and the end users of the lighting equipment make, install and use the lighting equipment to meet the lighting requirements of the environment while operating as efficiently as possible, energy regulators require product documentation as well as on-site operational or performance data of the lighting equipment. Typically, the on-site operational or performance data requires that the light output from each of the light fixtures installed are individually measured and documented to generate what is referred to herein as a commissioning report. In large office buildings with thousands of light fixtures, generating a commissioning report is extremely time consuming and labor intensive.
With the complexity of modem light management systems and the continued pressures to reduce energy consumption, there is a continued need to find improved systems and devices for and methods of integration of light management equipment that also provide operational or performance data to show that light fixtures are operating effectively and efficiently.